Kisses, Lies and Blurred Alibis 의 모든 챕터: 챕터 11 - 챕터 20

Jake’s eyes burned holes through me. He stood at the door, silent, tall, his hands shoved into his pockets like he was holding himself together.Tyler smirked, stepping back like nothing happened. “Relax, brother,” he said smoothly. “I was just welcoming your new bride properly. Don’t look so tense.”Jake’s jaw flexed. “Properly?” His voice was calm, too calm.“Yeah.” Tyler gave me a quick glance, the corner of his lips twitching. “Zoe always hated stiff greetings. I figured a hug would do. Maybe a kiss on the cheek too. Nothing serious.”I swallowed hard. My pulse hammered so loud I thought Jake could hear it. My lips still tingled with Tyler’s kiss. I forced my face blank, forced myself to nod. “He’s right. It was nothing.”Jake’s gaze moved to me, slow, piercing. For a second, I thought he would explode, demand answers, strip my lies away.But instead, he gave a short, clipped smile. “Fine.” His eyes flicked to Tyler again. “Dinner’s waiting downstairs. Don’t be late next time.”Th

Chloe’s POV Gold’s words clung to me like wet silk. You’re pregnant, aren’t you? I couldn’t sleep. I tossed, turned, stared at the ceiling until my eyes stung. Every creak in the house sounded like danger, every shadow like someone creeping closer to tear my mask away. I pressed my palm against my belly again, harder this time. The truth was there, alive inside me, growing by the day. I couldn’t deny it. I couldn’t erase it. Zoe’s voice haunted me: Make him yours before it’s too late. Sleep with Jake. Pin it on him. It should’ve been easy. He was my husband now. All I had to do was let him touch me, claim me. But every time Jake’s eyes lingered on me, steady and sharp, I felt myself shrinking. He wasn’t stupid. He was watching. Waiting. Testing me. And then there was Tyler. His lips still burned on my skin, his voice echoing in my ear. You’ll remember where you belong. My heart pounded so loud I thought it would wake the whole house. If Gold could see the cracks already

Chloe’s POVThe night air smelled like wine and rain. Venice glowed outside the car window, soft lights, golden canals, people laughing in the distance. I sat beside Jake, my heart knocking against my ribs like it wanted out. His hand rested on the gearshift, calm, steady, like nothing in the world could touch him.“Don’t fidget,” he said without looking at me.I froze. “I’m not.”“You are.” He glanced my way, a ghost of a smirk on his lips. “You always fidget before dinners like this. I remember.”I looked away, pretending to check my lipstick in the reflection. He remembered. But not me, not the real me. He remembered Zoe. My stomach twisted.Tonight wasn’t just a dinner. It was a test. I could feel it.Jake had planned it last minute, a dinner with “some business friends,” he said. When I asked who, he’d just smiled and told me to wear something red. So I did, a velvet dress that hugged my body too tightly, too Zoe-like.We arrived at a private restaurant tucked by the canal, the k

Chloe’s POV The morning came fast, I could still feel the warmth of his body on my skin. The morning light crept through the half-open curtains, painting gold lines across the sheets tangled around us. Jake’s arm was still wrapped around my waist, heavy and warm, his breath slow against my shoulder. For a moment, it almost felt peaceful, the kind of peace that doesn’t last. Last night was still a haze, his mouth, his hands, the way he whispered my name like it meant something more than it should. But beneath the warmth, something sharp lingered. Guilt. Fear. A truth trying to surface. I turned slightly, careful not to wake him. His face was calm in sleep, jaw relaxed, lips parted just enough for me to notice how human he looked like this, not the ruthless man people whispered about, not the CEO feared across the city. Just a man. He looked so innocent in his sleep. I could feel my heart racing though, Because I knew the moment he opened his eyes, that softness would vanish. He

CHLOE’s POVThe morning air was thick with tension, it felt weird. Even the sunlight coming from the glass walls felt too sharp, it was staring at me like it knew something I didn’t know or was hiding.Jake hadn’t spoken to me since last night. His silences had grown heavier, filled with questions he never asked out loud.I was sitting by the piano in the main hall, pretending to read a book, when Ethan quietly entered. He didn’t wear his usual suit today, just a dark shirt rolled at the sleeves. He looked tired. Or maybe just worried.He stopped beside me and spoke in a low voice.“Jake’s been… different lately, hasn’t he?”I blinked up at him. “Different?” I asked, trying as much as possible to look confused even knowing what he was saying was true. Ethan nodded. “Short-tempered. Distracted. He’s not always like that unless he’s digging for something.”A chill ran through me. “What do you mean?”He looked around before sitting beside me, his voice barely above a whisper.“He’s inv